


Is It Serious?

by steadywomp



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Clarke and Finn are kind of a thing, F/F, Gay Panic, I just really wanted to write about the beach, SO, but then there’s Lexa, probably the only story where Finn isn’t a dickhead, so it’s basically crack, you know how that goes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-09
Updated: 2018-06-09
Packaged: 2019-05-20 05:07:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14888205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/steadywomp/pseuds/steadywomp
Summary: Clarke’s pissed that she has to spend the summer working at the family business with a stranger, until she meets her.A beach AU.





	Is It Serious?

**Author's Note:**

> This is probably a mess, but I am a gay with lots of beach feelings so here you go.

“You need to get a grip,” Raven said flatly.

“No, seriously, if you don’t hold on to it right that mallet is gonna end up in the fryer at Tornado Dog,” Clarke said, pointing across the boardwalk to the empty stand. 

“I think I know how to hold a hammer,” Jasper said defensively.

“It’s a mallet,” Raven said.

“I read about this game online, okay? You don’t even have to be strong, you just have to hit it in the right spot,” Jasper said.

“Sure, fine, don’t listen to us.” 

“Yeah, whack away,” Clarke agreed.

“Watch me,” Jasper grinned. He cocked the mallet back too quickly, causing it to go flying out of his hands, directly toward the hot dog stand, landing just short of it with a heavy thud. Clarke and Raven could barely contain themselves. “Oh whatever, you guys got in my head.”

“I told you, this is a skill game, not one of those arcade games you can scam,” Raven shrugged.

“And I told _you_ , we don’t scam the arcade games. They scam us,” Jasper said.

“Go pick up my mallet before a tram car comes and runs it over,” Raven said.

“Is everyone who plays this game that dumb?” Clarke asked.

“Are you kidding? I’ve been working here one night, you know how many beefy dudes have already thrown that thing into people behind them?” Raven laughed. “Something about tests of strength really bring out the worst in people.”

“At least you get to hang outside,” Clarke shrugged. “Work on that tan and shit,” she added lamely.

“The fuck do I need a tan for? Have you ever seen me?” Raven laughed again. “You don’t have to try and make me feel better just because you’ve got a kushy air-conditioned job.”

“It’s not that kushy. It’s not even like it’s fully indoors, and the air conditioning is definitely for the ice cream’s benefit. Not mine,” Clarke said.

“Whatever, you can’t deny I have the shittiest job out of everyone,” Raven said. 

“She’s kinda right,” Jasper said as he rejoined them, leaning on the mallet like a cane.

“See?” Raven said. “You get to scoop ice cream, Jas and Monty get to play arcade games all day, Octavia and Bell get to sit in the ticket booth-“

“Would you really rather be trapped in a box with Bellamy for six hours a day?” Clarke asked.  

“I mean, I’d probably spend the same amount of time stroking the fragile male ego,” Raven shrugged.

“Hey!” Jasper whined. 

“Point proven,” Raven said to Clarke. She turned to Jasper. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

“Hey Clarke, you ever wonder why Raven’s single? Cause I don’t,” he glared.

“You’re single!” Raven shot back. “Get out of here.”

“Look, I’m sorry about the shitty job,” Clarke said. “I tried to get you a job at the shop, but Marcus decided he wanted to help my mom by taking over the hiring this year. I’m gonna be stuck behind that tiny counter mixing shakes with some strangers.” 

“It’s fine, I know. I really am just glad to have a job to keep me around,” Raven said. “But I definitely got my own hopes up. When you said you could get me a job on the boards I just automatically assumed I’d be operating a ride. Pulling switches on a rollercoaster or something.”

“I wouldn’t get on that ride,” Clarke laughed. “I should go though, meet up at Frenchies at close?”

“Only if one of these beefcakes doesn’t sweep me off my feet first,” Raven said, pretending to gag.

 

It was always hard to drag herself to work on days like this. The sun was bright and a soft breeze kept it from being too hot. She huffed, adjusting her sunglasses as she eyed the sunbathers jealousy. Maybe she could lay out for a few minutes, catch some sun. But no. Fucking Marcus had to go hire some rando, even though she told him about a hundred times that they didn’t need extra help at the beginning of the season. So skipping out on opening up the shop was not an option. Clarke groaned. Responsibility sucked ass.

She walked the familiar route up the boardwalk, signs dotting the sides of thin buildings where ramps connected to the street. Clarke approached the arcade where Monty and Jasper worked, electronic music echoing down the boardwalk. She peered in and caught Monty’s eye as he was emptying quarters out of a crane machine. They waved to each other and she continued on her way.  A little further up, she passed the rides pier, a long stretch of boards that continued toward the ocean, towering coasters and high flying swings all still. She veered toward the left, passing close enough to blow a kiss to Octavia in the ticket booth. Octavia caught it with a laugh, right before turning to argue with her brother, Bellamy, who it appeared thought the kiss was meant for him. Clarke just chuckled to herself and continued on her way. It wasn’t worth it to sort out. They’d find something else to argue about anyway.

Not far off was Jake’s Shakes, looking exactly as it did the day they neon sign was installed. Clarke smiled to herself, remembering the look on her dad’s face the first time they turned it on. She pulled a key out of her bag, unlocked the accordion door, and pushed it all the way to the left so it was clear of the counter. There was a little gap between the counters that was supposed to lift up, but Murphy broke it two summers ago when he got fired. Clarke ducked under it and popped up on the other side. She took a moment to turn on some lights, then walked through a door along the back wall to grab the ice cream from the freezer.

The break room was more of a freezer room than anything. The walk-in took up most of the space and the rest was storage apart from a small square table and three plastic chairs. Clarke entered the walk-in, grabbed a few tubs of ice cream by the handles, and headed back out.

Someone was standing in the break room. Clarke jumped backward, knocking into the freezer door. She lost her grip on one of the tubs and clutched her chest.

“Shit, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you,” he laughed.

“Jesus Christ, you almost gave me a heart attack!” Clarke said, almost laughing as her heart rate slowed. Her boyfriend was there. Well, not boyfriend, exactly. Not yet. But, how? “What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t coming down until next week?”

“I thought I’d surprise you,” Finn smiled, pushing his hair out of his eyes. “But now I think it maybe wasn’t the best idea.”

Clarke glanced down at the fallen plastic tub, lid still intact. “Definitely could’ve been worse.” Clarke shrugged. “But for future reference, waiting at the front counter would’ve been just as surprising. And a lot less terrifying.” 

“Yeah, but then I couldn’t do this,” Finn grinned. Within a second he was holding Clarke by the waist and pulling her in for a kiss. Clarke pulled back slightly. Finn gave her a look.

“You expect me to make out with you while I’m holding ten pounds of ice cream?” She laughed, setting the tubs down on the ground next to them. She wrapped her arms over his shoulders, holding the back of his neck. Finn kissed her harder, slipping his tongue into her mouth. For a second, Clarke could swear she heard the door click open and shut. A second later, there was something in her peripheral vision that made her jump back. Finn didn’t seem to notice. He just followed her steps backward until they were pressed against the freezer, still thrusting his tongue. Clarke stiffened, unsure of what to do as she accidentally made eye contact with a tall girl about her age standing there, in a familiar bright pink shirt.

“Should I come back?” The stranger asked, like she was holding back a laugh. Finn finally noticed her too, because he separated from Clarke with a jolt, and backed away bashfully. 

“Fuck, no, I’m sorry,” Clarke said, straightening herself out. She took a few steps toward her, and outstretched her hand. “Shit, uh. Sorry. I’m Clarke, I take it you’re one of the new hires?”

“Lexa,” she said, looking at Clarke’s hand, like she was trying to decide if it was safe to touch. Clarke brought it back to her side, a little awkwardly. 

Finn approached, standing shoulder to shoulder with Clarke. He outstretched his hand, too. “Hi, Finn, nice to-“

 “He’s leaving,” Clarke cut him off. “He doesn’t work here.” She gave him a little shove until he got the hint.

“I’ll see you tonight, right?” He asked Clarke. 

“Yeah,” Clarke said. “We’re all meeting up at Frenchies after close.” 

“Cool, have fun working. I’ll be enjoying the waves,” he smirked, to which Clarke rolled her eyes, then slipped out through the door.

“I’m sorry about- all that. I’m usually professional. Well, mostly,” Clarke said, finally taking a good look at her new co-worker. She was taller than Clarke, but only slightly. Her cut-off jean shorts put a gallery of black ink on display, Clarke had a passing impulse to reach out and touch before she realized how insane that would be. Lexa watched her for a second, cocking an eyebrow at her, like she could tell what Clarke was thinking. Her eyes were rimmed with intentionally smudged liner, it clashed against her bright eyes and ocean waved hair. Clarke couldn’t fathom how Marcus thought this girl was a good idea. She tried to extend her hand again though, wanting to improve her original first impression. “You can shake it, you know,” she said. Lexa only stared down at her hand again. “I didn’t jerk him off or anything, if that’s what you’re worried about.” Clarke cringed a little as it came out. So much for being professional. So much for improving the first impression. To her surprise, Lexa laughed, wrinkling her nose a little as she took Clarke’s hand and shook. It must have been exactly what she was worried about.

“Nice to meet you, Clarke,” Lexa said, an extra click on the k, like she was feeling it out.

“You too,” Clarke said. “Now, you wanna help me fill up the fridges up front with ice cream?” 

“I mean, that’s my job, isn’t it?” Lexa asked. There was something about the way she was looking that frustrated Clarke. Like she had already lost the upper hand. Whatever. She was still the boss.

“I guess so,” Clarke said, willing the bite out of her voice. She passed her a tub of ice cream. “I never really liked being a manager.”

“I could’ve never guessed,” Lexa said, leaving the break room first.

“Oh, whatever,” Clarke huffed after her.

It was an excruciating few minutes filling up the metal pans with ice cream for the display. Clarke wanted to say something. To knock this girl down a peg, because honestly, who the fuck did she think was? Instead, she bit her tongue. Her mom would be pissed if she managed to make a new hire quit on the first day.

“What next?” Lexa asked once they were finished.

“Honestly, waiting,” Clarke said. “It’s pretty much all waiting this early in the season.”

“Sounds exciting,” Lexa said, leaning against the back counter.  

“Trust me, by July you’ll wish you had time to stand around,” Clarke chuckled.

“So, you really have nothing for me to do?” Lexa asked. Clarke didn’t know why it felt like a challenge, but she wouldn’t take the bait. She was in charge. She was the bigger person. Even if the way Lexa was looking at her was starting to get under her skin.

“Why? Would you rather be put to work?” Clarke asked. 

“Kind of,” Lexa said.

“Well, sucks.”

Lexa glowered at her for a moment, apparently thinking. “How exactly does someone like you become a manager?”

“Why? Interested in my job? Wanna call up Marcus and tell him to fire me?” Clarke laughed harshly. Lexa gave her a look that seemed like it was exactly what she planned on doing. “Good luck with that. This is my shop, not his.”

“Kinda seems like it’s Jake’s,” Lexa quipped, pointing down at the logo on her chest.

“Yeah. My dad,” Clarke said.

“Oh,” Lexa said, shifting slightly.

“Is that an oh like, ‘oh now I get why your incompetent ass is in charge?’ Or an oh like, ‘oh shit maybe I shouldn’t have picked a fight with my boss for no reason?” Clarke snapped.

“Both. Definitely both,” Lexa said, less confident than before. They looked at each other for a moment and after considering her, Clarke couldn’t help but laugh, then, Lexa laughed too.

“Come on, let me find you something to do before your head explodes,” Clarke decided. 

They wiped down counters, swept and mopped, went through and checked the expiration dates on toppings, took styrofoam cups out of boxes, and after a while, she decided that Lexa wasn’t so bad. Lexa didn’t seem to mind that Clarke talked so much, which was good, because it always seemed worse when she was uncomfortable. Clarke talked for most of the morning, about her dad, the accident, responsibilities, her hopes for the summer and by the time they had burned through all of the menial tasks she could think of, she thought Lexa was looking more comfortable around her.

They returned to leaning on the counters, waiting for customers. The more Clarke looked at Lexa, the more she was jealous of her. She just seemed so effortless. Careless. Clarke wished she could look like that.

“You are definitely not what I expected,” Clarke said after a while.

“No? Who did you expect?” Lexa asked. Clarke thought she looked a little more relaxed now.

“I don’t know. Someone older. Definitely not all-“ Clarke looked Lexa up and down, something like a twinge of jealousy settling in her stomach before she settled on “edgy.” 

“Edgy. Right,” Lexa laughed. They stood in silence for a moment, both looking out onto the empty boardwalk. “Look, I’m sorry for coming off like a dick,” she said suddenly. “I’m just not completely sold on this whole thing yet.”

“What whole thing?” Clarke asked.

“Being out here. Summer job. I kind of- took a leap and I’m still not sure it was the right call,” Lexa said quietly.

“I get it, it’s kind of its own world out here,” Clarke softened. “How long have you been in town?”

“I got in last night,” Lexa said. “First time back in years.”

“Wait, then how’d you even get this job?” Clarke laughed.

“Phone interviews,” Lexa said.

“Ah, that explains so much,” Clarke laughed. “No wonder Marcus hired you. Probably sounded so polite and nice, super into working, no way for him to know you’re covered in tattoos-“

“I know you’re trying to make fun of me, but I’m amazing at phone interviews. I use my soft customer service voice, whip out that SAT vocabulary, and of course, I make sure to never cut men off, cause you know they love when we wait to speak,” Lexa smirked.

“How do you casually work an SAT word into conversation?”

“It’s easier than you think. Honestly, most of the time I’ll pick one that sounds right, and just say it with a lot of confidence.” 

“And that works?” Clarke laughed.

“Hell yeah. No one wants to seem dumb for not knowing what I mean, so they just go with it,” Lexa shrugged. Clarke eyed Lexa with renewed interest. Maybe she had her all wrong. “Honestly, you’re not what I was expecting either.”

“Oh no?” Clarke asked.

“Yeah, I was expecting to meet a middle aged guy named Marcus,” Lexa laughed. “Not a pretty blonde girl with no management training.”

“Hey!” Clarke defended, shoving Lexa lightly on the arm. Her cheeks burned. She attributed it to being insulted.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Lexa was having an interesting first day, to say the least.

First of all, her boss was hot. Like, crazy, Instagram model hot. But instead of of posing with a green smoothie or promoting hair vitamins, she was in an obnoxious pink Jake’s Shakes t-shirt that was cut up the sides.

Second, she walked in on her boss with some guy’s tongue down her throat.

And third, her boss, Clarke, which apparently was her first name, the one who thought it was a good idea to hook up in the break room, was actually pretty good company. 

So at the end of the day when they were closing up and Clarke invited her to come to a party on the beach later, she said yes without hesitation. 

Lexa pulled the keycard from her wallet and unlocked the motel room. The door was stuck on a beach towel, Lexa had to slide a leg in to kick it away, sand skidded out from underneath it. “Way to clean, An,” she huffed. Lexa dropped to one of the beds, bouncing as she clicked on the tv. She laid there for a moment, half listening to _River Monsters_ as she stared up at the ceiling, recounting her day. Trying to see if hindsight could give her any clarity on Clarke. She was something. And maybe- no. No. She needed to stop before she let this completely natural attraction turn into a crush. Crushes on straight girls are awful enough as it is, there’s no way she could handle having to work with one. It was normal. Clarke was hot. She could appreciate a hot girl without falling in love with her.

Because that worked out so well last time.

Lexa rolled over and groaned into the mattress.

  
  


She met Clarke at the corner of third and Ocean just after sunset. Clarke grinned and waved her on as she approached, cradling two full brown paper bags in her arms. “I didn’t know what you liked so I hope High Life is okay,” Clarke said. Lexa thought she looked a little unsure, and she surged with affection. Not a crush. Not a crush.

“All shitty beer is basically the same,” Lexa laughed, accepting her fourty. “Thanks.”

“No problem, come on,” Clarke said, grabbing Lexa by the arm. For a second, Clarke loosened her grip, almost like she was reconsidering, but it was gone just as quickly as it happened. Clarke led the way up the ramp and on to the boardwalk. “Usually everyone just meets at Frenchie’s, we like to grab fries before we drink, but I figured you didn’t know where that is.”

“I don’t,” Lexa chuckled. “But french fries and beer? Already sounds like a great night.” 

“I sure hope so,” Clarke said.

After picking up French fries, Clarke led her to the end of the boardwalk and onto a secluded part of the beach. Clarke had more friends than Lexa expected. It seemed like she had been introduced to twenty people before Clarke finally took Lexa’s wrist and walked over to a towel laid out on the sand to sit down. They ate fries and drank in relative silence, people watching. 

“So, you do this often?” Lexa asked after a while.

“Would you consider every night all summer long for the last four years, often?” Clarke laughed, taking a sip of her beer.

“I think any normal person would.”

“Then yeah, I do this way too often,” Clarke said. “What about you? Earlier you said you haven’t been here in years, right? What made you come back?”

“Family,” Lexa said. She was going to leave it at that until Clarke gave her a look. “Both of my cousins work down at Blackout.”

“That’s the tattoo parlor, right? On 6th? Near The Ghosts of the Boardwalk Mini-Golf?”

“Were you a tour guide before this?” Lexa chuckled.

“Nope, just spend way too much time here,” Clarke said.

“Yeah, that’s the place.” Lexa said. “A family friend is the manager down at the Pearl Of The Sea, so he rents them an efficiency for cheap. Sleeping situation isn’t great,” Lexa chuckled. “But, I guess I’m glad to get away from the city.” 

“Why’s that?” Clarke asked.

Lexa examined her for a moment. “You ask a lot of questions,” she said, more bewildered than anything.

“Is that a bad thing?” Clarke asked. 

“I guess not,” Lexa shrugged.

“So?”

“So what?” Lexa asked.

“So why’d you need an escape from the city?” Clarke asked. 

“Okay, I never used the word escape,” Lexa chuckled. “Just, ex drama. Needed a break.” 

“Trust me, I so get that.” Clarke smiled. “So, not complaining, but why didn’t you just get a job at the tattoo parlor with your cousins?”

Lexa laughed a little. “I have about all the artistic ability of a seven year old. And Anya already has the only non-tattooing job in the shop. She pierces.”

“That’s badass. You ever let her pierce you?” Clarke asked.

“Oh yeah, I’ve been her and Lincoln’s guinea pigs plenty,” Lexa laughed. “Here look,” She drew Clarke’s attention to her left arm, to thick, tribal looking marks. “This was actually Lincoln’s first tattoo.”

“Ballsy of you,” Clarke chuckled. “It came out nice though,” she said, stroking over it with a finger. Lexa shivered slightly under her touch. She really needed to keep it together. “The lines are smooth, shading looks uniform.”

“You interested in tattoos?” Lexa asked.

“I like art in general, but yeah, in another life I would’ve loved to be a tattoo artist.”

“Do you have any?” Lexa asked.

“Will you totally judge me if I say no?” Clarke asked, biting her lip. “I want them, but I’m so picky. I just haven’t seen anyone who’s work I’d want on me forever. Plus, you know, money. Also I’m not completely sold on the whole, getting stabbed for hours at a time thing.”

Lexa laughed. “You make it sound so violent.”

“It seems pretty violent to an outsider,” Clarke shrugged. “But anyway, you said your cousin pierced you? What’d you do, take them all out?”

“Well she did all these,” Lexa said, pointing out four piercings that ran up her right ear. “And I used to have my nose pierced, but I had to take it out.”

“Why? For work?” Clarke asked.

“No, nothing like that,” Lexa chuckled. “It always got stuck on my clothes or in girls hair, it was too much of a hassle.”

“In girl’s hair, huh?” Clarke asked, clicking her tongue.

Lexa’s face flushed. She forgot that she didn’t know Clarke. Well, that was definitely the most casual way she’d ever come out. She risked a glance at Clarke, who seemed a little pink herself. That could only mean one of two things, so, with another sip of liquid confidence, took a gamble. “You’d be surprised how often it happened,” she smirked. “Nothing kills a mood like stopping in a panic because your nose is attached to someone’s head.” 

“Sounds painful,” Clarke said, unreadable.

Lexa decided to push a little more. “And not at all the good kind,” she added, chuckling slightly as she took a gulp of her drink. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Clarke watching her. “What?” 

“I can’t tell if you’re hitting on me or not,” Clarke said.

Fuck. Backtrack. Backtrack hard. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lexa shrugged. It came out more confidently than she felt, for which she was thankful.

“I- um,” Clarke started. “I mean, I’m not- uh. I’m kind of with someone,” she finished. 

“I’m aware,” Lexa said. But Clarke didn’t look so certain. She looked kind of nervous. That was not something Lexa expected of her. Clarke seemed like the kind of girl who was always sure of herself, which she envied. Anya would probably say she was projecting, that she should back off before she got in too deep, but fuck, what was the worst that could happen? She decided to double down. “Or did you forget that our first impression was me watching you get swallowed whole?” She smirked as Clarke blushed harder.

“I was not! I mean, he’s not the greatest kisser, but he’s nice-“

“Is that a compromise you have to make a lot with guys?” Lexa teased. 

“I’m straight,” Clarke said.

“Okay,” Lexa nodded. 

“I’m serious,” Clarke crossed her arms.

“Yeah, I said okay,” Lexa chuckled. Clarke huffed slightly, taking a gulp from her drink. It was Lexa’s turn to do the eyeing.

“What?” Clarke asked.

“Nothing,” Lexa smirked, feigning innocence. Double down. What’s the worst that could happen? “You’re just cute when you’re all worked up.”

“I am not worked up,” Clarke defended. 

“Then I guess I’ll just have to try harder,” Lexa said. She watched out of the corner of her eye as Clarke opened and closed her mouth a few times, struggling to respond. Lexa held her beer a little tighter, feeling more confident. Before she realized, someone was walking toward them.

“Hey, Clarke, who’s your friend?” It was the guy from earlier. The one Clarke was making out with. The one she was “kind of” with. And he was visibly drunk. Lexa deflated.

“Finn, This is Lexa, you met her this morning,” Clarke said obviously. Lexa wanted to mention that Finn was a dumb name for anyone that wasn’t a cartoon character, but she stopped herself. Jealousy was not cute. And it definitely wouldn’t make Clarke like her.

“Right, right, how’s it going Alexa?” Finn asked with a grin.

“Lexa. There’s no a,” Lexa said harshly.

“Cool, cool,” Finn nodded. He was clearly not listening. He turned to Clarke and leaned in slightly, blocking Lexa off. “So uh, you wanna get out of here?” He was not subtle. Lexa might’ve laughed if she wasn’t so annoyed. She watched Clarke, who brought a hand to the back of her neck. They accidentally made eye contact. Clarke blushed.

“We just got here,” Clarke said.

“It’s not like you’re gonna miss anything,” Finn laughed. “We do these all the time.”

“I mean, I’m kinda in the middle of a conversation,” Clarke said.

“You can talk to Alex tomorrow, you work together,” Finn said obviously. “Come on.” He grabbed Clarke by the hand to pull her up and began to lead her away. Clarke gave Lexa a smile, somewhere between apologetic and embarrassed.

“I’ll see you at work, yeah?” Clarke asked. Lexa nodded in return, taking a swig of her beer. As she watched Clarke go, she knew, this summer was going to be a mess.

  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  


Working with Lexa was both better and worse than Clarke expected.

Better, because she was a hard worker, she made all the afternoon rushes easier and found more efficient ways to stack toppings. Amazing, because she was fun to be around, she made Clarke laugh and the days pass quicker.

Worse, because she was pretty sure Lexa liked her, in the most middle school sense of the word. And completely fucking awful, because she was starting to feel like she might like Lexa back.

Raven told her that it wasn’t a big deal. She said that sexuality is a fluid mess and none of their friends would care. And yeah, it sounded fine when Raven said it like that, but feeling it, _feeling_ it was different. She had always imagined herself squarely on one end of that scale. She had boyfriends. She liked guys. She liked fucking them.

But then there was Lexa. Lexa, who somehow always looked like she just walked offstage at a rock show. Lexa, whose tattoos she itched to touch. Lexa, who smirked every time she was caught flirting. It was constant. Lexa would play with the ends of her hair, and stare just a little to long, and then a wild thought would cross Clarke’s mind, that maybe, she’d like fucking Lexa, too.

And that was just, a lot to deal with.

Especially with Finn always stopping by for shakes. Something about the way he leaned on the other side of the counter with both elbows embarrassed her. Maybe it was the way Lexa looked at him. Or the way she looked at Clarke when he was around. Finn was cute. He was nicer than any of the guys she’d ever been with. His hands were soft and he made sure to kiss her _before_ he started taking her clothes off. But having him and Lexa side by side was torture, because it made all the things she was trying to ignore painfully obvious. She was losing interest in Finn for a reason. 

“I should’ve known you weren’t listening,” Lexa laughed, catching Clarke’s eye as she snapped out of her thoughts. “I asked if you wanted to try that ketchup ice cream they keep talking about and you just nodded.” 

“Shit, sorry, no. That sounds awful.”

“You okay?” Lexa asked.

“Fine. Just, thinking,” Clarke said. 

“About?” 

“Nothing,” Clarke lied. Lexa only smiled slightly.

“You can tell me you were thinking about me,” Lexa teased. “I won’t judge.”

“I was not,” Clarke huffed, hoping her cheeks wouldn’t heat up and give herself away. 

“You really need to work on lying,” Lexa chuckled. “First tip, don’t blush when you’re caught.”

Shit. She covered her mouth with her hands. “Whatever.”

“Second tip, if you’re planning on daydreaming about someone,” Lexa smirked “try not to stare at them while you do it.” 

“I was not _daydreaming_ about you,” Clarke rolled her eyes.

“No? Just _thinking_ about me then?”

“You’re the worst.”

“I hope whatever you were thinking was more flattering than that,” Lexa said, taking a step closer.

“I guess you’ll never know.”

“You sure you don’t want to share? Might be good to talk about,” Lexa reached over to brush away a lock of Clarke’s hair. Clarke stared at her for a moment.

“I- uh. I- gotta. Bathroom,” Clarke said, slipping quickly out from under Lexa’s arm.

Hiding in the bathroom was not a great plan. The floor was sticky and it smelled overwhelmingly of bleach, so after a few minutes she relented and instead made herself look busy, rearranging boxes in the break room until she couldn’t think of anything else to do. The break room door opened and Clarke all but threw herself into the walk in. It didn’t take long before that door opened, too. 

“Are you- hiding from me?” Lexa asked, stepping into the walk-in as the door closed behind her.

“No, it’s just hot today,” Clarke lied, staring down at the diamond plate flooring. 

“Clarke, it’s hot every day. It’s July and we work on a beach,” Lexa said.

“Why are you here?” Clarke asked.

“I work here,” Lexa said. “I mean, I’ve even got the obnoxious shirt to prove it.” Clarke glanced up to see Lexa smiling at her, pulling on the hem of her t-shirt, as an example.

“I mean why are you here, in the walk-in?” Clarke asked.

“I was looking for you, obviously.”

“I just need a minute,” Clarke said.

Lexa hesitated for moment, almost turning back before she took another step toward Clarke. “Look, Clarke. I get it. Just- if you want me to back off, I’ll back off,” Lexa said softly. Clarke stared up at her. “Just give me the word.” 

Clarke sighed. “That’s the problem.” Lexa gave her a questioning look. “I don’t think I do.” 

Lexa extended a hand to Clarke, who was not entirely sure what it meant. She took it, and Lexa held on for a moment before she used the connection to guide Clarke upward. Now that she was standing, Clarke realized how close Lexa was. Her eyes were somehow even more green in the fluorescent light. She could feel Lexa’s breath. Lexa let go of Clarke’s hand gently and moved to hold her waist. 

“What’s holding you back?” Lexa asked, nearly a whisper across Clarke’s cheek. 

“I just can’t,” Clarke said. “I have Finn.” She could feel herself losing resolution. 

“You said yourself that you’re not exclusive,” Lexa said.

“I like boys.” It was feeble. Clarke knew it. But she clung to whatever sense she had, even if having Lexa in her space was making it hard to think.

“So that means you can’t like girls too?” Lexa asked with a little smile.

“I just can’t. It’s too much,” Clarke said.

“Then tell me to back off,” Lexa said. “I like you, Clarke. And I don’t think that it’s one sided, so I’m going to keep trying. If I’m wrong, if I’m reading this wrong, tell me now.” They stared at each other for a moment. Lexa moved in first, pulling Clarke the rest of the way toward her, crushing their lips other. They stumbled, Clarke’s back pressed against the wire shelves and Lexa pulled away, lingering by her lips. “You can still tell me to leave,” Lexa breathed. 

Clarke did the only think she could think of. She kissed back. Lexa tasted slightly sweet, like she’d been eating ice cream before she came to find her and something about the thought endeared Clarke. But then Lexa wrapped a hand in her hair and nipped lightly at her bottom lip and Clarke felt like she couldn’t breathe and cute was the furthest adjective from her mind. Clarke gripped at Lexa’s waist, trying to pull her closer even though their bodies were already flush, and she might have made a sound because Lexa pulled back, eyes dark. They stood there, foreheads pressed together, breathing quietly. For a second, Clarke thought Lexa was going to kiss her again, but she must have thought better of it, because she stepped back a little farther.

“So, I guess I wasn’t reading it wrong,” Lexa said with a weak smile. She was trying to joke, but Clarke still felt kinda dizzy. If everything was overwhelming before, it was fucking crushing now. Clarke must have been quiet for a while because Lexa started to look concerned. “Are you okay?” 

“I’m- yeah. I’m fine,” Clarke sighed. Lexa cocked an eyebrow at her, a little disbelieving. “I just- I think I need a little to figure this all out.”

“Of course. Whatever you need,” Lexa said softly. For a second, Clarke thought she saw disappointment in her eyes, but when she looked again, it was gone. “Let me take you out tonight,” she said. Before Clarke could argue she added, “I’m not talking like, dinner and a movie. Just, let’s get on some rides, eat a funnel cake, whatever. I promise I won’t even win you a stuffed animal from the shitty ring toss game.”

“I already told Finn I’d spend the night with him,” Clarke said.

“So cancel,” Lexa said.

“What if I don’t want to?” Clarke asked. 

“You do,” Lexa said with a smirk. Clarke hated that she was right.

  


* * *

  
  
Lexa was going on a date. With Clarke. And she wasn’t entirely sure it was actually a date. And she wasn’t completely sure Clarke even wanted to come. But apparently she cancelled on Finn, so that was something.

How long had it been since she’d been on a date? How the fuck do you dress for a not date date with the girl you’re crushing on who's also technically your boss and might be straight? Lexa pulled at her cheeks in the vanity mirror. How much makeup is right? At what point does a lip color go from ‘I’m having a nice night with a friend’ to ‘I hope you want to fuck, but also no pressure’?

Instead of being helpful, Anya laughed at every question she asked. She didn’t bother trying to ask Lincoln. He could barely talk to girls outside of tattooing them, just thinking about the party with Clarke’s friends that she brought him to last week made her cringe. She smudged some eyeliner on, remembering that Clarke said she liked how it made her eyes look.

Yeah. This was probably going to be a disaster.

 

She met Clarke on the pier by an arcade an hour later. She noticed Clarke had on a little more makeup than usual, and took it as a good sign.

“So what do we do, buy a ticket book or something?” Lexa asked as they walked out onto the pier, all metal and flashing lights and pounding music. She didn’t remember it being quite so huge. A chorus of screams sounded and trailed off as they passed under the track of a winding roller coaster.

“What year do you think this is?” Clarke laughed. “Everything is digital now. I brought my card, it’s already got tickets on it.”

“I told you I was taking you out,” Lexa said indignantly.

“Yeah, and you’re already failing pretty miserably,” Clarke laughed. “Have you ever even been on this pier?”

“Not in a long time,” Lexa shrugged. “I didn’t realize it was so massive.” 

“Yeah, there’s a reason we get so many tourists, and it’s not just to check out hotties at Jake’s shakes.”

“I can’t tell if you’re talking about me or yourself,” Lexa laughed.

“Obviously I meant both of us, hotties is plural,” Clarke rolled her eyes.

“I guess good to know that you think I’m hot,” Lexa teased. Clarke rolled her eyes again. “You know if you keep doing that your eyes are gonna get stuck like that.”

“What are you, fifty?” Clarke laughed. 

“No, I’m a hottie, apparently,” Lexa said.

“Shut up. You know you’re hot, why else would I be on this stupid date with you?”

“So now it’s a date?” Lexa asked, trying her best to sound cool.

“Since when was this not a date?” Clarke asked, cheeks turning pink. “We made out in the walk in and then you told me to spend the night with you, I just figured that’s what you meant.”

“I didn’t know if you were okay with that,” Lexa said honestly.

“I’m here, right?” Clarke asked. 

“I don’t want you to feel like it _has_ to be a date though. I just want you to be comfortable,” Lexa shrugged, shifting a little awkwardly.

“I get it,” Clarke said after a moment of silence. Lexa gave her a questioning look. “I get why people like girls. I don’t think I’ve ever met a guy who was hot _and_ considerate.”

Lexa suppressed a grin. “What can I say?” She shrugged. “I’m a feminist.”

“God you’re lame,” Clarke laughed as she pulled Lexa forward by the wrist. “What kind of rides do you like? But if you say the Gravitron I’m leaving now,” Clarke laughed.

“God, no. I went on it once when I was like, twelve, because Anya just kept talking about how you could lay all the way upside down, she made it sound so cool. I think I threw up for a full hour afterward,” Lexa laughed. “I haven’t been on any rides in so long. I’m up for anything. Gravitron excluded, obviously.” 

“You okay with getting wet?” Clarke asked.

“I definitely wasn’t expecting you to be so forward,” Lexa smirked. Clarke stopped dead. 

“Oh my god,” Clarke said, covering her face with her hand. “You know that’s not what I meant.” 

“Freudian slip?”

“I was talking about the log flume,” Clarke said.

“I have no problem getting wet,” Lexa said. “As long as we both are.”

“God, are you going to do this all night?” Clarke asked.

“Do what? I’m talking about the log flume,” Lexa smirked. They stared at each other for a moment, Lexa with a hand on Clarke’s waist. “Well?” Clarke grabbed Lexa by the wrist and led her across the pier to the log flume.

  


* * *

  
  
After three rides on the log flume, two on the swings to dry off, some roller coasters, bumper cars, funnel cake and a few skill games that definitely resulted in Lexa winning Clarke a stuffed lion, it was obvious. This was the best date Clarke ever had. To be fair, it’s not like she had a whole lot to compare it to. Usually she just hung out with guys at their house, or at parties or whatever, but still.

This was not how it was supposed to go. She called it a date just so she could prove to herself how far from a date it actually was. It was supposed to feel like hanging out with Raven or Octavia, like any other night out. She wasn’t supposed to be smoothing her hair down in every reflective surface, or blushing every time Lexa looked at her for too long. And Lexa was making it really fucking hard, with those eyes and her smartass remarks and attentiveness and the flirting. God, the fucking flirting.

Maybe Raven was right. Maybe sexuality was a fluid mess and maybe no one would care. Or maybe she just wanted to believe that because of the way Lexa was looking at her from across the table, funnel cake long since forgotten. 

“You okay?” Lexa asked, with a little more teasing than concern. Clarke must have been staring again. Fuck. Clarke nodded, not wanting to give her the opportunity to press. Lexa slid around the curved bench until she was next to Clarke, thighs touching. Clarke pretended not to notice. “So, what do you wanna do now?” Lexa asked.

Why did that feel like such a loaded question?

“What are my options?” Clarke asked after a moment, absentmindedly reaching for Lexa’s hand. Lexa cocked an eyebrow at her. She stared back. 

“Options? Well, we could call it a night,” Lexa shrugged. “Or, we could- not.”

“Hmm. So what happens if we don’t?” 

“That’s up to you,” Lexa said with a creeping smirk.

“Of course it is,” Clarke rolled her eyes. “You don’t have any ideas?”

“Trust me, I have plenty,” she said, voice dropping. “But tonight is all about you, so it’s your call.” Clarke bit her bottom lip.

This was going to be a disaster. She knew it before the words came out, but she didn’t stop herself. They way Lexa was looking at her made her feel bold and alive and completely fucking electric. So, fuck it, she thought.

“I have a place we can go,” Clarke said. The look Lexa gave her was the confidence boost she needed. She stood, grabbed Lexa by the wrist and led the way.   


**Author's Note:**

> I don’t know if I want to write more for this story or not yet. Let me know what you think!


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